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Man, Teen Charged For Explosive Device Attack On Officers

A 23-year-old man and a 13-year-old boy have been arrested and charged for an explosive device attack that injured 10 Oakland police officers during a protest in July, authorities said.

The explosive devices were detonated in downtown Oakland on the night of July 23, when a group of about 1,000 people marched in memory of 18-year-old Nia Wilson, who was fatally stabbed at the MacArthur BART station in Oakland the previous night.

Oakland police said the two suspects believed to be responsible for setting off the explosives devices fled the scene, and at the beginning of their investigation they had few leads.

Police said the 13-year-old was identified as a suspect after officers were able to recover and analyze more than 100 pieces of video surveillance footage. After a search warrant was served at his residence, they found evidence linking him to the crime.

The boy made a full confession, apologized for injuring the officers, cooperated with the investigation and pleaded guilty to felony criminal conspiracy charges, according to police.

The 23-year-old man, later identified as Giovonni Gaines, was identified as the second suspect and he was arrested on Nov. 1 with the assistance of the FBI and the Oakland Police Department's intelligence section, which conducted more than 40 hours of covert surveillance on him, police said.

Gaines provided a full confession, admitted to possessing the explosive device, providing it to the minor co-defendant and then igniting the device, according to police.

On Monday, the Alameda County District Attorney's Office charged Gaines with assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer likely to cause great bodily injury, two counts of possessing an explosive device, igniting a destructive device with the intent to injure, and four counts of maliciously igniting a destructive device.

Gaines is being held at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin in lieu of $3 million bail and is scheduled to return to court on Nov. 15 for a bail hearing.

Oakland police said Gaines could also face federal charges.

Responding to the arrests of Gaines and the 13-year-old boy, Oakland Police Officers' Association President Barry Donelan said in a statement, "Thank you to the FBI for their assistance and very well done to each and every Oakland police officer who worked on this successful investigation. Their diligence and hard work makes everyone wearing the blue uniform proud."

Donelan said, "Coming to Oakland to perpetrate attacks on Oakland's finest will not be tolerated. Those contemplating such action should be put on notice that they can run from justice but ultimately will just go to jail tired."